For decades, scientists have puzzled over how a certain sea slug acquires the ability to photosynthesize after ingesting algae. An advanced imaging technique now confirms that the slugs are literally stealing genes from the algae. It's considered the first example of "horizontal gene transfer" in a multicellular… »2/04/15 7:40am 2/04/15 7:40am

It's generally agreed that life on this planet would not be possible if it weren't for microbes. In a fascinating thought experiment, a pair of biologists scrutinized this assumption to find out. As their paper makes clear, a microbe-free world would be a strange place, indeed. »12/17/14 9:40am 12/17/14 9:40am

Photosynthesis is the chemical process that allows plants to get their energy from carbon dioxide and light. It's one of the most amazing adaptations in any life form. It's also incredibly complicated. Start the new year right by learning how it works, in this video. »1/01/14 12:06pm 1/01/14 12:06pm

In the quest for alternative energies, there is one treasure that many scientists have tried and failed to find. That treasure is the secret of photosynthesis, the chemical reaction that allows plants to convert light into energy, releasing nothing but harmless oxygen in the process. But now a chemistry graduate… »4/01/13 12:27pm 4/01/13 12:27pm

Scientists know that worms, bacteria, and various fungi can eat plants and use the vegetable cellulose as a source of carbon for their growth. Plants, on the other hand, simply sit back and photosynthesize carbon dioxide, water, and light. But now, as German researchers have discovered, algae don't always need to… »11/21/12 6:20am 11/21/12 6:20am

The unimaginably arid conditions of South America's Atacama Desert have mad it the perfect scientific stand-in for Mars. So in a place that is quite literally almost alien, it makes sense we'd find microbes as strange as these. »6/10/12 2:00pm 6/10/12 2:00pm

With photosynthesis, plants are already busy converting sunlight into usable energy. The question then is how to use plants' natural solar-power abilities to generate energy for us. In this video, an MIT researcher explains how to do just that. »2/06/12 4:40pm 2/06/12 4:40pm

About 2.5 billion years ago, our planet had virtually no oxygen, and lifeforms were primitive. Then, oxygen levels suddenly spiked, the entire landscape of the planet changed, and we were on our way to complex life. Now, at last, we know why. »1/10/12 3:20pm 1/10/12 3:20pm

The world's tallest tree is found in northern California - it's a redwood that stands 379 feet tall. This tree and its relatives are the largest single organisms in the world, but just how big can these trees really get? »6/19/11 7:00am 6/19/11 7:00am

Plants use photosynthesis to turn sunlight into energy every single day. This ability appeared to be completely unknown in the animal kingdom, leaving the living solar battery that is Superman as the only animal to ever harness the sun's rays for power. But now we've discovered that a type of hornet is doing its own… »2/13/11 3:00pm 2/13/11 3:00pm